DA fails to gain outright majority in Plett by-election

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

The Democratic Alliance failed to gain an outright majority in yesterday's keenly contested by-election in the Bitou municipality in the greater Plettenberg Bay area.

The ANC's Hilda Plaatjies secured 919 votes in Ward Four Bitou, just 38 more than the 881 of the DA's Elaine Paulse.

The Cope candidate got 49 votes, an independent 50 and the local community forum only four votes.

The DA had hoped to win the ward which would have given them the outright majority in council.

Twenty other by-elections were held countrywide on Wednesday.

The ANC won two of the by-elections at Oudtshoorn.

The Democratic Alliance, however, won the third one in Ward 13 which was enough to give them control over the Oudtshoorn council

Ward nine in Potchefstroom's hotly contested Tlokwe -municipality was won by the ANC with 738 votes.

An independent candidate surprised with 504 votes followed by the DA with 196.

The ANC lost ward four in the Mahikeng by-elections to an independent candidate.